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Tribe Awards $3.4 Million To 91 School Districts

The Cherokee Nation distributed checks totaling $3.4 million to 91 school districts in the tribe’s 14-county jurisdiction on Feb. 14, according to a tribe news release.

The awards were given during the annual Cherokee Nation Public School Appreciation Day event at Sequoyah High School of Tahlequah.

The amount donated increased by $200,000 over that awarded in 2013.

“We are proud to make this record investment to our area schools. Our car tag compact with the state of Oklahoma is important because funds are partially earmarked for education,” Principal Chief Bill John Baker said in the news release.

The tribe has increased its donations as the state’s education budgets continue to be stretched even thinner, he said.

“We expect that trend to continue now that we’ve expanded our license plate service area to cover all of Tulsa, Muskogee and other areas,” Baker said.

The tribe allocates 38 percent of tax revenue from tribal car tag sales to help schools within its jurisdiction. The funds are allocated based on the number of Cherokee students at each school, and the schools may spend the money as they wish.